“Smart”: The new ‘green’

Recently in the NYTimes’ via GigaOm, David Erlich drops the knowledge on the alleged infinite job-creating possibilities of the new “smart” energy infrastructure thingy.

A new energy-efficient infrastructure could be coming to the U.S. with the new administration, and up to 280,000 new jobs could be created from the deployment of smart grid technology alone.

Wow! Who knew “creating” that many jobs could be so simple?

But nevermind my skeptical opinion of the magical job-berthing properties said to be present in our president-elect’s very core.  What concerns me firstly is the certain potential for waste, fraud and corruption, i.e. boondoggles for buddies(or just plain boon doggles).  We are talking billions added to the billions (trillion) already promised for bailouts and current boondoggles.  Where is all this cash going to come from?(YOU) Oh yes, we have a printing press!

Secondly, I am concerned with the obfuscation going on here in terms of well, terms.  ‘Green’ became just way too, not sexy, or hip like it was say last year.  And besides, people are just sick of being (or being told to be) green. We are like all greened out (plus Wal Mart is doing green so, its not cool).  But when people say let’s be smart, or you get to say ‘I am smart’ or just allow yourself to be ‘smart’ then that’s all kinds of wonderful. Marketing, they pay a lot for it. Its like convincing guys that hot girls will simply appear if you drink ‘this’ beer.  Or convincing girls that ‘these’ jeans definitely make you look thin and beautiful. Definitely.  And you can never be too smart, right?